13.3.1. Local education programmes on climate

In 2025, METU ran local education programmes and campaigns on climate change risks, impacts, mitigation and adaptation.

Ocean and climate awareness training (METU CLIMATE and METU IMS)

METU CLIMATE and the METU Institute of Marine Sciences run ocean and climate awareness workshops for children and young people aged 6–18, with schools, NGOs and local governments, and with a particular focus on schools in disadvantaged areas. In the first half of 2025, this training reached about 2,500 students. In Mersin, the Sea and Climate School runs with Mersin Metropolitan Municipality.

Sustainable Development Talks podcast (from 31 January 2025)

METU CLIMATE launched a free public podcast series presenting METU's work on the SDGs, including climate change, to a general audience.

https://haber.metu.edu.tr/tr/2025/01/odtu-iklimden-surdurulebilir-kalkinma-hedefleri-podcast-serisi/

Certificate programme for professionals

METU CLIMATE launched 'Sustainable Development Talks', a free public podcast series presenting METU's work on the SDGs to a general audience on YouTube. Its third episode, released on 13 February 2025, is devoted to SDG 13: Prof. Dr. Barış Salihoğlu, director of METU CLIMATE and of the METU Institute of Marine Sciences, explains the changes observed in Türkiye's seas as the climate changes, the causes of events such as the mucilage outbreak in the Sea of Marmara, the role of marine ecosystems in the carbon cycle, the blue economy and how marine science helps respond to climate change.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZFMwyDooc4

Energy-saving awareness campaign on campus

As part of its ISO 50001 Energy Management System, METU runs an energy-saving campaign to cut the energy use and emissions of its campus. In 2025, staff starting work at METU under the Workforce Adaptation Programme (İUP) received 'Energy Efficiency and Saving Awareness' training. This builds on the 'ISO 50001 Basic Information and Awareness' online course, opened to all academic and administrative staff in 2024 on the Presidency Human Resources Office's distance-learning platform, and on 2,500 energy-saving posters in 40 designs placed in campus buildings in 2024 (METU Energy Management Unit, Energy Efficiency Practices 2023–2026).

Climate awareness training for children and young people

In 2025, METU CLIMATE gave climate change awareness training to about 700 children and young people through projects funded by TÜBİTAK's 4004 Nature Education and Science Schools programme, eTwinning, the EU SHORE project and Erasmus+. Partners included the Faculty of Education of Mersin University, the Mezitli District Directorate of National Education and the Science and Art Centres of Kadirli (Osmaniye), Yenişehir and Erdemli. METU CLIMATE is also a partner in the Erasmus+ school-education project 'Great Expectations: Empowering Youth for Climate Action', and with the Embassy of Italy and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) it held an awareness training on youth and climate (METU CLIMATE, 2025 Unit Activity Report).

https://www.instagram.com/p/DMNTVwVMS4u/?img_index=1

Disaster risk management roundtable (21 February 2025)

At the 27th Türkiye's Disaster Risk Management Roundtable, organised by the METU Disaster Management Implementation and Research Centre at the METU Culture and Convention Centre on 21 February 2025, METU CLIMATE presented 'METU's potential to contribute scientifically to resilience against climate-related disasters'. The talk set out observed and projected trends in the frequency and severity of climate-related disasters, explained hazard, risk and vulnerability, referred to the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change's 2024–2030 Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan, and outlined the steps needed for awareness and preparedness. The audience included academics, researchers and disaster response teams.

https://iklim.metu.edu.tr/tr/announcements/odtu-iklim-turkiyenin-afet-risk-yonetimi-yuvarlak-masa-toplantisina-katki-verdi

Ocean and climate talk for schoolchildren in Mersin (Blue School)

As part of the Blue School application of the METU Development Foundation Private Mersin Schools, Dr. Evrim Kalkan of the METU Institute of Marine Sciences gave pupils a talk on ocean literacy, covering the vital role of the oceans in our lives, the changes climate change is bringing to the seas and why individual awareness matters for a sustainable future, and introduced METU CLIMATE's work. METU CLIMATE lists its Blue School cooperation with the school among its 2025 partnerships.

 https://iklim.metu.edu.tr/sites/iklim.metu.edu.tr/files/birim_faaliyet_r...

Climate change education course and exhibition

MSE 475 Climate Change Education for Sustainability, an elective opened by Prof. Dr. Gaye Teksöz of the Department of Mathematics and Science Education with the support of METU CLIMATE, brings in academics from many fields as guest speakers; in 2025 it held six guest seminars. In the course's 'The Sustainable METU of My Dreams' workshop, students designed 30 projects to make the campus more sustainable, which were exhibited at the METU Research Park in December 2025 and visited by the Rector, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Yozgatlıgil. METU CLIMATE has included the projects in its fundraising plans so that they can be carried out with the METU Climate Envoys and Climate Volunteers (METU CLIMATE, 2025 Unit Activity Report).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0X4x9_OzrI